13 things you never knew about Belle from ‘Beauty and the Beast’

And she also intended for "Beauty and the Beast" to provide a positive example to girls AND boys.

photo:
Disney

"I feel really good about creating a character who is a positive role model for young girls, and boys, too," she said in the same 1992 interview. "To Gaston, Belle wasn't a person; she was a possession. And I think it's great for little boys to see that Beauty doesn't choose him. Not only can they look at Gaston as an example of how not to treat women, but they can hopefully be taught by the Beast, a macho guy who is comfortable with his feelings and gentleness. He could teach a lot of men, in fact, about sensitivity."